Thank God For 2020 - Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ happening to Christians and I know matter what is going on whenever you get what you want to say to me pastor. Isn't God great. I think this is great. I got a promotion. I got it and got the diagnosis is benign, not too many economies haven't heard circumstances beyond thanks to God reading joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us how God's word meets our work does it feel like Thanksgiving effect on the country you keep getting the idea that knowing it really doesn't. When I watch the news you hear all about all the restrictions for travel etc. etc. and how different it's going to be this year.

But there's one particular thing that I hear on all the newscast and it might be something that you say as well. But here's what the newscast say over and over and over again.

You need to realize that Thanksgiving is about family. It's not Thanksgiving is not about family.

Family reunions are about family Thanksgiving. It's right there in the title is about giving thanks to someone that's what it is for us as believers in Jesus Christ.

We know it's about giving thanks to God. Well, I think a lot of it say yeah that may be true but not this year.

The one we have to be thankful for how you give thanks in the middle of all the things were trying to adjust to. How could we possibly be giving thanks that well let me give you a little reminder open your Bibles to Daniel chapter 6 Daniel chapter 6 Daniel six remember Daniel Shadrach me shack in a Bendigo and many others were brought into captivity, into Babylon. They were taken out of Judah and Jerusalem. And they were taken to Babylon as teenagers.

I Daniel had already gained quite a bit of notoriety and out also quite a bit of jealousy from the native persons in meets and cylinders verse four of chapter 6 the other commissioners.

Daniel was one of them. The other commissioners got together and they tried to wipe full Darius. They tried to full the king. First of all there to stop Tillman told me is wonderful and great kings love to hear that stuff and then they told him that that you need. We need to also you need to sign a meeting that no one could pray to anybody other than you. No one could ask anything of their God or of any man.

Except for you and so Darius was more than happy to sign this another reason for was these commissioners were extremely jealous of Daniel and they realize he did business so well. No corruption, nothing, just efficiency. They had nothing on them so they thought that getting that way so it says in verse nine. Therefore, King Darius sign the document. That is the injunction now watch what happens now when Daniel knew that the document was signed.

He entered his house now in his roof chamber. He had windows open toward Jerusalem and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying, and giving thanks before his God, as he had been previously doing. Daniel hears about it and he does what he always is done he goes up. He opens the window so all can see toward Jerusalem notices posture, it says he's kneeling now.

By the way can we all just pray just that driving our car, standing in line in the cave just put the ending. No one else would know you're praying right. But if you're kneeling what you think most people think that person spring Daniel, one of them to know that I am praying. What's interesting about it though is notice what he's doing. It says kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks.

Why he's in exile in Babylon is a slave.

He has lost all rights know how many of you this year.

By the way, one of the reasons this year so hard in you as you are to become a slave this year, somebody bought you this your name now on. Right well against Truitt being a slave would be very good when it well is also an XL. So he's far, far from Judah and Jerusalem is also a stranger living in a strange land and a land that's totally controlled by pagans completely controlled by pagans.

So what is he doing is giving thanks he he's giving thanks out in the open for everyone to see.

So it is possible to give thanks when circumstances are exactly the way you'd like them to be. You know the rest of the story Darius finds a he doesn't want to do it but he throws them in the lion's den and how's that work out pretty well. God delivers them from the lines down in the rest. The book is even more blessed than he was before. The reason this story is in here. I think one of the major points.

Is this God is willing to bless us if we thank him despite our circumstances and sorrows infect me put it this way this year might be the most important year you've ever had, and I've ever had as a Christian to be thankful because circumstances are little more difficult to see what ends up happening to Christians often and I hear it often that no matter what is going on whenever you get what you want. You usually say to me pastor. Isn't God great. I think of for is is great. I got the promotion I got it while yeah I did and I got the diagnosis is benign.

I want to thank you for not too many of you came and said why I am so thankful that the economy slows the election went the way it did in covert still out there. I haven't heard you say that, but you should see because we don't give thanks for the circumstances we give thanks, beyond the circumstances we give thanks to God for being God. That becomes absolutely the most important part of this see I think for many of us even this Thanksgiving by camping with my extended family, what would I be thankful for.

Well let me just give you a few reminders go with me to Ephesians chapter 1 the book of Ephesians chapter 1 verse three ever in verse three to verse 14 in the Greek text English text can't do it because English doesn't work this way is only one sentence in Greek. I'll just write one sentence so long a sentence of in Greek and the New Testament. And so he writes this one sentence and it it's a remarkable sentence and I want you to understand something in the might of forgotten where is Paul when he writes this is in prison anybody been in prison this year. Would you be thankful if you were to see his circumstances Nellies in prison. But the point would be for Paul is that if it's decided that he will die. He's going to be executed and will be a decision whether his executor lives in Paul writes these prison epistles Philippians is full of joy and gratitude circumstances have nothing to do with thankfulness is having to do with God. Now here's what he says in verse three Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Something about us. He says that you want. I have been blessed by God. Notice the first time is three different words or for blessed all the same root word. The first word is Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ your logo toss is the Greek word it's always used eight times in New Testament always first to God each and every time it's praising God is a praise item and you seem so he says. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us that were blessed this humongous sauce and it means you are the object of blessing you get increase or success in the last line he says with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. You'll VI and it means something given to someone for their benefit. So the first thing Paul says is you and I are blessed. But he says more to it than that, he is blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. How many spiritual blessings you think are never me. What's the limit of the spiritual blessings of heaven, God, right.

So what's the limit. Also, as you have every single blessing every blessing in God has. He's given to you each and every one of us so that he goes on.

He says let me explain. So I'll give you some of them on a list. He says, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless before him in love he predestined us to the adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the kind intention of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the beloved. In him we have the redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight.

He made known to us the mystery of his will according to the kind intention, which he purposed in him with a view to the administration suitable to the fullness of times.

That is the summing up of all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on the earth. In him you also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to his purpose who works all things after the counsel, his will to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of his glory in him you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation having also believed, you were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of promise. He said who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession to the praise of his glory, while the here's the problem. When you're reading that you start thinking looks like a lot of stuff you have any idea what that is meters what is said. Just the nose versus he chose us before the foundation of the world. We are holy and blameless before him.

He predestined us to the adoption of sons he freely bestows his grace on us, he redeemed he purchased us for the death of his son.

He's forgiven us according to the riches of his grace he has lavished his grace upon us. He has made known to us the mystery of his will. He has given us an inheritance he has given us a certain hope he has given our lives purpose to the praise of his glory and he has forever sealed us by the indwelling of his Holy Spirit. Every one of those things and I read were free and they're all in a revocable God gave you all those free and all your revocable, let me ask you something many times have you read this passage and thank God for each one.

Ask yourself how many times do you think God we thank God that her child got into college. We we thank God that we got an advancement. How do those things. Compare with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly. How do they compare there's no comparison at all trifle little different perspective. How often do we thank God that we got a good diagnosis or good treatment from our health point of view. I knew may have had those that's wonderful and you should thank God for those but let me explain something you're going to die everyone if you're going to die. So when you were healed and you were not so wonderful thing. It's just temporal world and a die. How many of you think God for your spouse, no hands please because somebody will feel pressure. I got up in my hand about you see, we thank them right. Let me explain something your marriage is going and it is way works and you will be made to Christ in heaven, so your spouse, but the point of it is that ends wife's that's a wonderful physical blessing, but I'm talking about blessings on the spiritual aspect. You could be extremely financially secure right thank God for that.

You should guess what, when you die will be penniless. You don't take that with you to be famous and everybody once he autographed wants to talk to you and all that that when you die in dialogue because the spiritual aspect of your life is gigantic Lee and larger portion of truth in your physical life is so much more important, what happens to us spiritually than what happens to us physically.

That's the point of Jesus Christ. That's what he was able to do all God wants us to say is thank you thank you for all the spiritual blessings, William wall centuries ago. He wrote this. Would you like to know who's the greatest thing in the world is in him who praise the most are fast the most. It isn't he who gives the most, but it is here. She, who always is thankful to God who receives everything as an instrument of God's goodness and has a hard, always ready to thank God for his benefits, the greatest St. is the one who is thankful to God, you realize how important this is to God's an amazing thing we talk about grace. Grace is God's unmerited favor and we say grace is a gift from God to you. By the way, in the grace so is your life. So is your career social right to do so at your spouse. All those things are gifts from God and he gives you life through grace. Now when someone gives you all those good things. Well let me ask this way when you have a child and someone gives him a nice gift and he doesn't say anything. What do you say to your child what you say to the man I wanted to say and usually little Johnny love. Thank you. Thanks. Why will they gave you something you should be thankful that God give you everything you not everything is just on the temple but everything you have forever is a gift.

What did you nothing God gave in order God's expectation is from you and me. Thank you, thank you see that such an important part of who we are and how this works. You see, if you don't say thanks. It says something about you. If you're not grateful and thankful.

It says something about you.

For example book in Ephesians chapter 4 with me. Chapter 5 with me.

Verse 18, 518, Ephesians 5 in verse 18 Paul writes and do not get drunk with wine. That's a stupid that's my paraphrase okay because it is stupid but dissipation is a word means nothing to us means kind of pointless or meaningless. The Greek word does but he says don't get drunk.

Don't let alcohol control you. That's a stupid, he says, but be controlled or filled with the spirit of God. Don't be controlled by drugs or alcohol beef controlled by the spirit of God. He said when you are speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. When you do that you you walk the line every day worshiping God. I don't mean just on Sunday morning in a church service. I mean every day worshiping God. You've got a melody in your heart does not notice the next verse 10 always going what giving thanks, then the words we hate for all things giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the father to do that.

Give thanks for all things divisive about all things are good and I know I doesn't mean it that way he means it from a little bit different perspective. The circumstances of life change were sinful people would live in a cursed planet. A lot of bad stuff happens.

The whole idea of being God is God's as that taken care of that. I redeem everything that's bad. I can turn everything to good effect.

The same phrase all things pan tests is the word all all things Paul writes to the Romans says all things work together for what good all think and say all things are good all things work together for the good that happened as I make that happen. I can take anything internally for good is my business. That's what I'm about. That's how I work. So when you're in the middle of all things. He said how about thanking me, you mean covert. Yes, I mean covert isn't a part of all things for the economy sagging okay thank me. Why won't be able to get together were 71 relatives on Thursday. It's okay. Thank me. He said you give thanks in all things. When you are thankful in your spirit are not controlled by the spirit of God, controlled by your flash see that's what he saying we are most thankful one or past the radio ministry or fellowship nor if you ever missed one of our broadcasting or maybe you just like to listen to the message one more time.

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